The wise counsel remains ignored

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor

Twelve years after the Oronsaye report, the cost of governance has remained high little or nothing has been achieved as the number of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government soars.

Last March, President Bola Tinubu directed the full implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report, but the directive did not stop the creation of more MDAs.⁣

President Goodluck Jonathan constituted the Stephen Oronsaye-led panel officially known as the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies in 2011 to identify inadequacies in the country’s civil service.

The main objectives were: Reduce duplication of functions, eliminate waste and inefficiency, improve service delivery; and enhance accountability and transparency.

The committee submitted its 800-page report in 2012 and recommended the scrapping and merging of 102 government agencies and parastatals. It recommended that the statutory agencies be slashed from 263 to 161; 38 agencies should be scrapped; 52 should be merged, and 14 should be reverted to departments in various ministries; reduce personnel costs by 35%; privatize or concession some agencies; repeal obsolete laws and regulations; and establish a monitoring unit.

Estimated savings of ₦1.2 trillion (approximately $3 billion) was expected then. At the time of the report in 2012, the federal government had 541 MDAs. Currently, there are over 900 MDAs.

President Tinubu, on his part, created no fewer than 10 new ministries. They include Marine and Blue Economy; Tourism; Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; Steel Development; Youth Development; Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; and Livestock Development (July 9, 2024).

Added to the new ministries are agencies and parastatals or commissions like the South-East Development Commission, SEDC; North-West Development Commission, NWDC; South-West Development Commission, SWDC (in view); and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND among others.

With the National Assembly bent on establishing more commissions and educational institutions across the country, stakeholders fear that the government is not ready to cut the high cost of governance and deploy the funds to other critical sectors of the economy for the welfare of the people..